AJAX is the current in thing to do with interactive webpages, there's no lack of free frameworks available out there for achieving AJAX functionality in your webpages. Typically an AJAX framework will help you easily map out and call a function on your server side pages so you can do a query to a DB, perform an action, and then return the results to the client browser without incurring a post back.

The problem was.. AFTER you got the results back, how are you going to update the page? In order to present the results you had to be pretty well versed in manipulating the HTML DOM to rebuild say.. a table of query results, and that was the usual stumbling block when someone wanted to implement AJAX functionality on their webpages.

Then Microsoft released the ASP.Net 2.0 AJAX Extensions, which used a very neat *trick* to solve the update problem. With the AJAX Extensions installed, you first code everything JUST AS YOU WOULD NORMALLY and this is important, for the most part you don't need to change a thing on how you code. Then you identify which controls require to be dynamically updated and put them into a container control called the UpdatePanel and like magic, the control now updates without a post back!

And what I find to be the coolest feature of the Extensios toolkit? If for some reason the user disabled Javascript on their browser, or the browser doesn't support the javascript required to dynamically update your page. He can still have access to all the functions of your page because it would just post back normally instead of being dynamically updated so you don't have to worry about compatibility with lesser browsers!

Of course that's a very simple description of the magic that happens, but if you're an ASP.Net 2.0 programmer you owe it to yourself to check out the extensions TODAY! ;)

One of the most mentioned features which Windows Vista has is the ability to use external flash memory as an additional cahce to speed up your system, aka. ReadyBoost, when I talk about ReadyBoost with people I always tell them that not every thumbdrive or memory out there would work as the link mentions.

So here's a quick low down of what I have used that is ReadyBoost capable. From top to bottom, left to right.

EDIT : One last thing that I need to mention... the media might have worked as a ReadyBoost source on my system.. but it might not work in yours... when in doubt, disconnect, and reconnect the drive a few times and see.

Kingston 4GB Data Traveler II Plus Migo - I had to format the stick to FAT32 and then run the readyboost test a few times, then only it detects as readyboost capable, and sometimes after my machine comes out of hibernation with the stick connected it doesn't detect as readyboost capable anymore. So I guess you'll just have to be a bit wary about using this as a ReadyBoost device. That said... do you know how cheap 4GB thumbdrives are now?? Bloody hell!!!

Kingston 2GB Data Traveler Mini - Haven't tried it with ReadyBoost enough to see how well it works, I can only say it does detect as ReadyBoost capable and that's all I can say about it.

Sony Microvault Tiny 1GB - This is what I put into my wife's old Fujitsu P5010, it's actually quite suitable as a ReadyBoost device, it's small, flat, easy to carry around with your notebook. Just one strange problem though.... every now the entire contents of the drive go missing, but the space is still shown as used.... and I have on idea why that's happening!

TwinMos 1GB Ultra-X SD Card - I use this in my Fujitsu P1610's SD card slot as it's ReadyBoost device, no problems so far, it works..

Kingston 1GB MicroSD Card :- When used in conjunction with either the InnoDisk USB MicroSD Reader or it's own MicroSD to SD Adapter the MicroSD card works well as a ReadyBoost device.

All of you developers who are running VS2005 on Vista, the update pack has been RTM'ed. Do pick it up to ensure a smoother experience with VS2k5 on Vista, do remember to set Run As Administrator on your devenv.exe as well of course!